


Stand-Up Magic

by Mako_Neexu



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Gen, Identity Issues, Immortality, Loss of Identity, Magic, Pandora Gem (Magic Kaito), Post-Canon, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 22:40:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28875099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mako_Neexu/pseuds/Mako_Neexu
Summary: "Cameras caught you being gunned downat the earliest opportunity, and you werecornered. It would have taken a miracle for you to evenmove. How you got out of it alive after falling off the roof was anyone’s guess."--After four years of performing for audiences outside Japan, Kaitou Kid returns to the country. Conan confronts the thief about an issue that's been bothering him for a while.
Relationships: Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan & Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid
Comments: 2
Kudos: 63





	Stand-Up Magic

**Author's Note:**

> Taliya-san is my beta reader in this work. I'm very thankful for her help. <3
> 
>   
> Stand-up Magic  
> \---A magician that will stick by you to the bitter end  
> Source: [Magician's terms](http://www.mallusionist.com/tradesecrets/glossary.shtml#:~:text=Glossary%20of%20Magic%20Terms.%20Abracadabra%3A%20A%20magic%20word,%27bout%20Willis.%20Angles%3A%20The%20corners%20of%20magic%20equipment.)  
> \--- It is more intimate than stage magic because it doesn't require expensive, large-scale stage equipment and can thus be performed closer to the audience and without a stage.  
> Source: [Platform Magic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platform_magic#:~:text=Platform%20magic%20\(also%20known%20as,smaller%20audiences%20than%20stage%20magic.&text=Many%20of%20the%20tricks%20performed,impossible%20to%20perform%20as%20micromagic.)

Kid wasn't talking anymore. It wasn't that he was mute now, for Kid still laughed arrogantly at the Task Force's attempts to capture him with fiery fervor. He still performed dramatic magic shows that left his audience in awe, the Task Force always caught in his traps, and Conan chasing after him with his watch and soccer ball.

It went on for years, like it was routine. It made police forces around the world annoyed with the thief, but businessmen and a few government officers remained intent on allowing Kid to continue slipping away as long they earned profits from the merchandise, or if the jewel was returned at thrice its original value.

There were a few times where Kaitou Kid would pop up in a random country to steal a jewel, causing fans from around the globe to reawaken. Kid had frequented Japan as of late, which would probably make him a _local_ phantom thief. Conan knew Kid's ego wouldn't take well to a downgrade in his threat level.

Thus, an “international tour” had people scrambling to see a live gentleman thief who performed magic shows for free.

During that time, he hadn’t been able to come back to Japan for a while. It should have made Division Two relieved, but Nakamori-keibu’s shocked uproar when he heard of the thief going to other countries said otherwise.

Interpol's collective head was probably growing ten white hairs per minute by that time. No suspicious persons that matched Kid’s profile had come through the airports or docks, after all.

Kid’s stealing spree had many people literally tearing their hair out because a bet on the Internet had been anonymously released: whoever caught the thief would win a sum of money that could practically buy a whole country.

France: four heists as "homecomings." Italy had two. United Kingdom, one. USA, two. Germany had six because multiple people had challenged him. Another 'visit' to Singapore. Malaysia. China. Now, he's back in Japan, much to the dismay of the many global fans the magician had gathered.

Instead of bragging about his status as a world-wide celebrity, Kaitou Kid was silent at those heists, seeing as he barely bothered to verbally taunt the numerous detectives and police forces after him—even the ones he hosted now.

Conan finally reached the top of the building, panting from the flights of stairs that left him breathless.

Kid didn’t welcome him with a smug greeting or praise for catching him “off guard.” There was only silence, and the air around Kid seemed... tired.

It made Conan cautious, because this wasn't the Kid he's used to. The one he knew was full of smirks, snarky retorts, and risky magic tricks.

Now, Kid had mostly avoided announcing his heists in public unless there had been a challenge issued, particularly from the many cocky companies that bragged about their advanced security systems. Despite the efforts of either Tokyo’s Division Two or any given thievery division of a national police force’s efforts at concealment, announcements of Kid’s heists still somehow managed to get leaked to the public.

Conan knew that the thief was a professional stage actor. He was a master at disguise and poker face. But beneath the moonlight with the gem held up against it, that mask was almost nonexistent.

It almost made him seem... vulnerable.

Conan approached him, just close enough that he could inflate a ball and kick it without missing Kid. He flicked his watch open, aiming it at the figure framed in the moonlight.

"Tell me, Kaitou Kid," Conan declared. "Why was the Estrella Mirin that was returned a fake? You may have fooled the rest, but that gem was real when you stole it. Ever since then, you've been scheduling more and more heists like it’s the only thing left in your life. Not to mention, on every full moon too."

He tightened his grip on the watch, on his guard as Kid turned to face him. The shadows from his hat obscured any moonlight that might have illuminated his facial features. The silence persisted with only Kid's cape flapping gently from the wind to disrupt it.

"As always, I can't hide anything from you. Oh, how it strikes fear into my heart." The thief's voice was smooth. _Too_ smooth for it to be part of the persona. He placed a hand to his heart, a melodramatic sigh spilling forth.

"Answer me, Kid."

“…”

His silence irritated Conan to a degree that it made him want to kick the ball at the thief's face and shake him violently for an answer, because worry was something that constantly gnawed at him, and it ate away at a detective's nerves until they couldn't focus enough to solve the crime. He’d always push it to the back burner of his mind because he isn’t that incompetent of a detective. But once Conan was reminded of the phantom thief, the uneasiness would make him frown and sort through Kid’s old and recent BBC or CNN news articles.

He hated it when emotions were thrown into his deductions; it clouded his rational ability to achieve the truth. It was bad enough when the heists after the Estrella Mirin sparked a grim feeling inside him, and it only grew as the thief lost himself in Kaitou Kid's mask.

It was almost as if… his civilian life didn't matter anymore. It made the middle schooler indignant. Who the _hell_ in their right mind would leave their loved ones behind for a night job of stealing? The morals that ran inside Kid's head never failed to frustrate Conan.

There was also the possibility that Kid was fooling around with him. If this was an act of keeping up with his ‘mysterious’ facade, then _damn_ him. Conan’s _not_ dealing with his antics right now.

Conan fired a soccer ball next to Kid’s hat, which didn't seem to faze Kid one bit. It only irked the boy further. 

Kid tugged his hat downward, "If you really want to know, then deduce it. You're the detective here, not me."

Of _course_ , Kid was _Kid_. A nuisance to the police, a clever adversary to a detective, an enigma to all. He certainly wouldn't give information for free without some sort of gain. How typical of a criminal.

"Fine!" He growled out. "Get down here and I'll put away my watch. No tricks or I’m getting the Task Force here before you even _move_.”

Conan expected a remark or a retort, _anything_ from the thief. There was none.

It only served to remind him that he was an internationally wanted criminal, and that he was a detective who was sworn to catch him. Two sides of the same coin. Back when they had initially met at the Black Star heist, he had been serious about catching him. But as time passed and antagonism was set aside for temporary alliances, Conan had come to see the thief as not 1412, but just Kid, his rival.

(The times Kid had understood his predicament of restarting life anew and putting _Ku-_ the _old_ _one_ to rest had been kept close to his heart. Kid being one of the few to actually be able to read him made it all the more precious.)

He wanted to wipe that stupid mask off his face and make him show some sort of emotion, be it amusement, rage, or sadness—

When Kid does what he's told, Conan immediately fires off his speculations. "There was an unknown third party at the Estrella Mirin heist four years ago." He pauses, gauging the thief's reaction. There was no crack in the poker face yet.

"Half a dozen snipers and two whole squads of one faction of the Black Organization had been arrested—three of which were foreign hitmen. All of the Task Force, even the media, thought you were dead." **_I_ ** _thought you were dead,_ remained unspoken.

The cameras had been grainy at that time, but it had been clear enough to distinguish Kid being used as _target practice_ by the men. The indescribable fear that gripped his heart at the sight of the suit drenched in nothing but red with not even a patch of white to be seen.

Kid nodded, a sign of acknowledgment for the first time. "Correct."

"There weren't many witnesses, but some of the men admitted to shooting you until you were nothing but a bunch of holes."

To say that it was an unpleasant image would be an understatement. Conan himself had been poisoned, stabbed, bombed, and shot at, but not to the degree in which he was gunned down mercilessly. He could only imagine the amount of agony Kid had suffered. Without his experience in dead bodies, Conan might have had a panic attack had he been a normal child.

"And they _had_ ." He seethed, whether at the thief or at the Black Organization, neither knew. "Cameras caught you being gunned down _at the earliest opportunity_ , and you were _cornered_ . It would have taken a miracle for you to even _move_. How you got out of it alive after falling off the roof was anyone’s guess."

Conan stuffed his hands deeper into his pockets, and looked at Kid directly. The thief's fringe and hat blocked his eyes. "But the impossible is represented by a magician,” He took a step forward, and the light reflecting off of his glasses made his expression unreadable. The wind ruffled his hair ominously.

“The trickster.” Another purposeful step forward, building tension between them. Looking closely at the thief’s body language, Conan could see that his body was taut with apprehension.

Then a final step, “The Kaitou Kid, isn't that right?" He paused for breath, eyes glinting knowingly as he smirked before adding, " _Kuroba Kaito-san_?"

Kaitou Kid—no, Kuroba Kaito’s breath hitched as he lifted his head and stared at the detective. Those sky-colored eyes were wide with shock and Conan felt a surge of pride at his efforts. Unfortunately, it lasted only a split second before Kuroba tugged his hat downwards and hopped gracefully onto the elevated platform.

"Oi, we aren't done yet!" 

Conan flicked his watch open before a series of small sounds started coming from Kid. His shoulders shook, and he clutched at his stomach. A wave of confusion followed by annoyance trickled through him. Before he could berate Kid, full blown laughter echoed into the night, his head tilted to face the sky.

The middle schooler was caught off guard by Kid’s reaction, "W-Wh—Kid, what the hell?"

Kid forced his laughter to die down into chuckles before finally stopping, "I a-apologize. You gave me a good scare." He added in amusement, "I never knew how much I'd miss you chasing after me, Meitantei."

Conan gawked, unable to stop feeling happiness at the thief's admission. He groaned exasperatedly, "Kid—you, you're insufferable."

A familiar smirk grew on his face, "I do try my best." Much to his internal horror, it eased a weight off Conan's shoulders.

Afterwards, Kid gestured for Conan to come closer so he could lift the other up and seat the boy beside him beneath the blanket of the stars and full moon. The icy formality of Kid's previous demeanor slightly melted away if Conan was to use the small smile as evidence.

They slipped into an easy silence, but it was slightly subdued with the lingering tension of the unfinished conversation. Conan wanted to know the truth from Kid himself, wanted to get every single question answered in order to ease the worry that had built up in the years of the thief's absence from Japan.

"In all seriousness, do you believe in magic, Tantei-kun?" Kid asked, eyes now on the moon.

The boy wrinkled his nose in distaste, “Your measly tricks, or that witchcraft mumbo-jumbo?”

"How rude! _My_ magic is far from ordinary and paltry illusions," Kid retorted before continuing, “The type of magic I’m referring to is the kind that makes you run away from witches, snipers, robots, and pirates trying to kill you.”

Conan gave him a flat stare. "You’re kidding me."

“I may be ‘Kid’-ding, but I do wish I was only jesting.”

“Ugh, stop being so formal, you sound like Hakuba.”

Kid made a disgusted face, then sighed, "Well, I can’t help it. The way you act right now pains me with heartfelt sorrow." He opened his fist to reveal the night's prize. The Scarlet Secret dangled from his fingers, twinkling under the moonlight.

"Did you know that you’re the cause of my high blood pressure?” 

"My, my, for the Great Detective to get stressed out because of me...”

"Shut up, egotistical retro-thief. Honestly, why am I here with this disaster known as Kid again…?"

"Ah, but aren't you the one who insists upon violence to a poor thief like me? Your… ‘peculiar circumstances’ sure does give you the scare factor.”

"Are you implying _I’m_ the disaster here? FYI, what I do to you is just self-defense. I’m _protecting_ the law from kleptomaniacs like you.” 

"I don’t steal _impulsively_. Also, your small body can’t even contain the sass you spew everyday, much less defend the law...”

Conan rolled his eyes at the childish taunt, "Whatever, pompous bastard."

The smile from Kid's face was mixed with playful irritation, "Slimy brat."

He inwardly praised himself for making a dent in the mask. While Kid could be serious at times, when it came to their banter, insults were given freely like charity between them.

"Says the one who landed face first after a failed trick on a tightrope."

Kid stuttered, "H-Hey! Did that half-Brit Tantei-san tell you that?!"

Conan smirked, "Mere observation."

"I don't believe you." Kuroba crossed his arms and huffed.

"Suit yourself." Conan shrugged, then his gaze turned serious, "Ki—Kuroba, ever since that day..."

Kid quickly caught on before sighing tiredly, "Don't, Meitantei."

Conan doesn't speak any further. He opted to observe the phantom thief, who was gazing at the stars with undisguised longing.

Four months after Kid was shot, Kuroba Kaito vanished from the face of the earth, severing his ties to the people he associated with. His childhood friend had been devastated, and her father had had search parties scouring Tokyo for any sign of him, only to drop the search after two years. His mother returned only when she heard the news of his disappearance, and it was hard not to feel sympathy for the woman.

Hakuba Saguru had determinedly even tried to chase the Kaitou Kid around the globe. At one point, he had to stop. Not because the detective was tired of the chase, but the sudden pop-ups of the thief from one country to another like he was a whack-a-mole made it suspicious.

The half-Brit had turned to the Kid Killer to tell the story of the man behind the mask. Afterwards, Hakuba had told Conan his speculations about the magician’s actions following the Estrella Mirin heist. 

From each action that was undeniably a gentleman thief’s behavior to every strain to Kuroba’s face whenever he’ll try to say something to the blond, and the rare times where he caught Kaito staring at his reflection with empty eyes… Hakuba recounted them all with uncharacteristic concern.

Even if there were certain opinions on Hakuba's view, Conan had understood all perspectives of the story easily.

What he didn't understand was why Kuroba felt he had to leave his civilian life behind to pursue a career behind the monocle. There were countless reasons, but none of them made sense when Kuroba was the one who never intended harm upon anyone, emotionally or physically. Add to the fact that there weren’t any clues left from the Estrella Mirin heist, Kid himself was the only source of reliable information left.

Now that Kid was here before him, he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity of getting him caught off guard. The truth always showed in the minuscule expressions of people, after all.

The lull between them tensed when Conan opened his mouth to speak.

"...How did you survive, Kid?" It was said as both a fact and a question.

The thief stiffened before his cape whirled to obscure his view. Before Conan knew it, Kid was at the edge of the platform, his back facing the city lights.

"Do you really wish to know, _Shinichi_?"

Conan flinched _hard_. He gritted his teeth, choosing to ignore the pointed jab meant to deter him. "I do."

They stared for what seemed like forever, each set of eyes stubborn as both silently fought each other.

Kid looked to the side and yielded, “… Alright then.”

The thief moved, the rhythm of his footsteps tapping lightly with measured precision. "It is already a given that the Estrella Mirin was the one in which I finally found what I’d been searching for. It's true I had invited my pursuers to come to my last show. To _finally_ put Kaitou Kid to rest, so that Kuroba Kaito could be free."

The middle schooler pushed himself off of the ground, facing the thief from meters away. Kid stopped to remove his hat, gently placing it on the floor, features finally illuminated from the city lights.

"When the crows tried to eliminate me, it happened to shatter the gem too." Kid's smile morphed into a victorious grin. "I had finally lured Division One to them, all thanks to my claims of committing murder at the night of my heist."

Looking at the man closely, Ki- Kuroba was pale like his suit. His face and height remained the same as when Conan had just been seven years old. A pair of gloved hands were raised, palms facing outward. 

All previous joy of triumph drained, and Kid's voice was cold as ice. “And then this happened.”

On cue, he removed the gloves to reveal hands that went transparent from the tips of his fingers until it faded to somewhere past his wrist. If it hadn’t been for its eerie outline, Conan might not have instantly understood what Kid was talking about.

Conan's breath caught in his throat. The ever-familiar sense of dread quickly pooled inside him. His heart pounded erratically.

"Deep breaths, Tantei-kun. The show isn't over yet."

Kid raised his arms higher, a mocking parody of being caught, with moonlight spilling through his hands. Conan felt sick. "What the—What the _hell_ Kid?! Stop joking!"

"Meitantei," Kid groused, "You asked for the truth, yet you still doubt what's before your eyes."

"What chemical did that to you?" Conan demanded.

"It isn't a chemical."

"Bullshit!"

"Can you explain why I can easily go from country to country without anyone suspecting a thing? I'm not so rich as to have my own plane, you know. And neither am I associated with any shady businesses."

The student opened his mouth before closing it, settling for a glare instead. He hadn't figured that one out yet, and it left a bad taste in his mouth. 

In the beginning, Kid had just scheduled a heist in Japan, then, there had been people in France spotting a figure in white two days after. The next full moon, Kid had surprised everyone by holding a heist in the European country. At that time, there was a rumored ghost that roamed their streets that had closely resembled Arséne Lupin. 

Conan didn’t believe in the supernatural, but with Kid’s display earlier, it just left him disturbed. Of course, he could have disguised as anyone to enter other countries, but as mentioned earlier, no one suspicious had been caught despite thorough monitoring on countless transport facilities.

"...You said it was magic, right?" The detective scowled, and he can't believe he was going to ask for it. But there weren’t any logical explanations left, unless he foolishly believed that Kid’s acting with his hands were genuine. Which meant…

“Prove it.”

Kid raised a brow, and one hand twitched, "Are you sure? Don't blame me if you end up regretting it."

Conan paused, then nodded in response.

Hesitation was prevalent in the slowness of his movements. "Alright, but stand back a bit since it might get messy.”

"What are you go—"

Before he could finish, the gloves were put back on before Kid whipped out one of his razor-sharp cards.

The smile of false confidence was the last Conan saw before dark red sprayed and oozed from the thief's neck.

"KID!" He screamed and rushed to the thief, who was now crumpled to the floor. _Shit, why would he even—! Stupid, stupid, stupid! Call for 119, first,_ the remaining coherency in the haze of panic hissed at him. There was a crimson puddle quickly pooling under them. He needed to act _fast_.

Before he could reach for his phone, a bloody, gloved hand grabbed his own, causing him to freeze.

Kid rasped, "I'm not… dead. Look." As to prove his point, Kuroba tilted his head to the side, and an action that should have aggravated his wound instead revealed an unnatural regeneration of his skin, muscle, and blood at a rapid pace.

Conan felt himself pale, "This..."

Kid swiftly stood, dusting dirt off himself as though he wasn't completely drenched in his own blood. He looked unfazed by all of it, as if it was _normal_.

"Blood is troublesome, so this is why I prefer my 'no one gets hurt policy'. Honestly, whoever made that deserves a-"

Conan seized the lapels of his suit, demanding, "Explain. Now."

Kid innocently blinked before replying, " _No_ ," with a haunting, bloodstained smile. With years of experience with murderers and criminals, Edogawa Conan should have had enough backbone to steel himself in the face of the truly dangerous ones.

However, it didn't prepare him for the sight of Kaitou Kid's eyes glowing a bright red and with a challenging grin on his face.

" _Because where's the fun in that_?"

Without thinking, Conan slapped him across the face. "Would you stop hiding things for five minutes?! Do you even know how much I—how much _everyone_ is worried about you?! Stop being selfish, Kuroba. You're taking the meaning of magician thief too far. Would your father even approve of the actions you've been making lately?"

Kuroba froze. Conan may have stepped on a sensitive landmine, but he needed this to get through the magician's thick skull.

"I don't know what's going on inside your head, but I know for a fact that you don't like doing this... this so-called _job—_ " he gestured to the stained suit and monocle, "—because constantly being someone you aren't takes a massive toll on your health. Immortality aside, you shouldn't have just left the Nakamoris or your mom. Kuroba Kaito should—"

Kid jerked away from Conan's tight hold on his suit. His gaze darkened as he rumbled, "Let me tell you one thing, _detective_."

The boy was suddenly aware of the blood soaking his clothes and hands. He took a cautious step back. Clearly, Kid didn’t feel like entertaining his reproaches anymore.

"All of the things I do aren't governed by 'Kuroba Kaito', nor am I _'him'_ anymore."

At that statement, Conan's heart started to hammer noticeably harder than before, "What?"

Kid adjusted the gloves on his hands, and placed the top hat back on his head. A humorless laugh escaped him, "Do you know how mutualism works, Meitantei?"

The thief doesn't give him a chance to speak, opting to circle around him like a shark. "Actually, it's more like parasitism in my opinion. Ah well, it's a matter of perspective, how it works isn't anyone's problem now."

"Get to the fucking point, Kid." His patience was wearing thin, and the lack of understanding made it apparent.

"My apologies." Why Kid was bothering to be formal _now_ was shoved aside in favor of understanding the more important uneasiness in his gut. It only doubled when Kid took out a pocket-watch, murmuring, "... Hmm, that should be enough," before snapping it shut. Conan eyed the action with wariness. 

"Estrella Mirin was Pandora, the gem that's said to give immortality to the wielder. When it was destroyed, it instantly latched onto my body and made me its host." The thief smirked, his eyes conveyed a burning fury that spoke of how it was always doused, only to come back burning angrier than before.

"In the four months after, I realized that 'Kuroba Kaito' had been replaced with 'Kaitou Kid'. It took me a long time to realize that my actions weren’t that of the magician teenager, or that I was no longer human anymore." He coldly chuckled, the sound chilling the air around them.

Conan's hands tightened into white-knuckled fists, "Even so, you shouldn't have just fled.”

"Perhaps. But who was I to object a woman’s tight grasp? Pandora forces the host to act according to her desire. This 'defensive mutualism,' as she likes to call it, was nothing more than an excuse for entertainment. Alas, with my numerous attempts to ‘escape’, even she has become infatuated with me."

Conan's eyes widened, "Then that was a—! You're its—No. Kid…"

Kid's eyes flashed with a purple hue, "Oh yes, it's true, Tantei-kun," he sang with his trademark Kid grin. "That was my thirteenth suicide attempt, and I am its hostage."

If it was possible for his blood to run colder at the prospect, it certainly did now. Because what Ki—Kuroba was saying wasn’t within the bounds of science and logic anymore. This was definitely close to sorcery, or incomprehensible _science_ , if he wanted to truly believe it. Apoptoxin 4869 may have had de-aging side-effects to match Pandora's legend, but it wasn't capable of bringing people back from the dead. Not with where technology was at right now, at least.

Kid continued, his voice dramatic with an undertone of foreboding. "There I was, struggling under its influence like a drunk man clinging to the last of his coherency. A maiden so lovestruck she felt dizzy with breathlessness. A test subject being callously torn apart. Being on the verge of death is thrilling, I tell you.”

He laughed maniacally, and his eyes were wide and his smile stretched too broad. Kid clutched at his head, fingers digging into his skull. Then his body sagged, arms boneless as they dropped to his sides, and a shaky exhale escaped him. “Apologies, Pandora tends to take over like this when she’s appeased.”

Conan could only stand helplessly, unable to save someone who was past the point of no return.

“Back to the matter at hand, in exchange for letting me live, 'Kuroba Kaito' had to be removed from what she deemed as 'my true self'. Pandora 'killed' him, and made 'Kaitou Kid' as a separate entity. How I came to these realizations was because she could only convey feelings and intentions. Through that, I eventually understood my fate.” 

He turned and faced the moon, a sad smile gracing his lips. “Out of Pandora’s own loneliness, I was remade to be her companion until the end of time. A literal phantom thief, who is no one but everyone and anyone. A vessel for a sentient curse. A servant for its pleasure, designed to perform eternally onstage. Forever unable to close the curtains..."

The magician reached up to his chest, clasping tightly at his suit as he murmured, “I wonder what my father would say now…?”

Kid's voice had gradually become quiet, all of the acts he's been forcefully delegated with lay heavily on his shoulders: years of constant pain and struggle, bottled up emotions, scars that lingered on his body and heart, the agonizing ache of leaving his family and friends behind without it being on 'his' _own_ terms, the worn poker face mask, the lies, and the torment…

Shinichi witnessed it all, and it made his heart throb in anguish. The formal speech, the distinct lack of the joy within the prankster magician, the animosity towards the gem, the international tours, as well as Kaito's disappearance… it all made sense. The truth that he had been given may have answered all of his queries, but the dawning horror at the awareness of the fact that Kaito's condition couldn't be reversed anymore...

It scared him. He wanted to reach and call out to Kaito. But he was afraid that he might vanish the moment his fingers brushed against the magician.

“Looks like my time’s up for now.”

Shinichi looked around him, at the sky that was lightening. It was almost dawn.

As if sensing the thief's gaze, he turned and gaped in horror. Kaito—now dressed in pristine white—was fading.

Now, it became apparent why he had said what he said. He rushed towards Kid, but it was all for naught. Shinichi's hand passed through his chest, causing a bubbling panic to rush forth as he stumbled forward, but he caught himself before he hit the ground. Shinichi whirled to face him, eyes wide with fright.

Kaito assured him with a still-solid pat on the head. This time, a soft smile that was fully and unequivocally Kuroba Kaito shined through. It lasted for a millisecond, before his face reverted back to that of the calm and untouchable phantom thief.

"Please keep chasing after me, Meitantei. If you don't, I might just steal all of the world's jewels." He chuckled lightheartedly. The boy chose to ignore the fact that the fading now reached past his chest.

He smirked cockily. "Aa, I'll make sure you're put behind bars, Kaitou Kid." Kaito gave him a grateful smile. His eyes glistened in unshed tears. The blood on Shinichi’s own clothes started to vanish like it had never been there in the first place.

Kid stepped away and bowed dramatically, his cape fluttering against the morning breeze. "Until next time, see you next illusion." Kaito bade as he disappeared into the wind.

As the sun's first rays finally touched Tokyo’s tallest skyscrapers, Shinichi held the Scarlet Secret close to his chest, intent on keeping his promise.

 _Barou,_ he thought with a newfound but gentle fondness, _Kuroba Kaito hasn't disappeared entirely... I'll make sure you remember that._

**Author's Note:**

> Taliya-senpaiii thanks so much again ~~imsoannoyingimsorryplsthisisthelasturgonnadealwithmeTvT~~
> 
> Estrella=star (Catalan)  
> Mirin=death (Kurdish)
> 
> Why this fic was made: every time Japan releases DC and/or MK merch, Kaito’s stuck wearing the suit ivebeguntorefertohimasKidwhichdidnthelpitsalwaysKidnotkurobakaitowhichissadlmao
> 
> Inspired from these [Illustrations](https://kashinkofu.tumblr.com/post/640910210486108160/illustration-number-41-and-47-kaito-and-kaitou?fbclid=IwAR0ITiIBML2HdSCxjgVoZZ2ybDADNraseUxFRzTPD86xDfSLMHkkMy4UgMo)
> 
> When Shinichi demanded that Kaito explain, Pandora took over for a moment (that part where Kid’s eyes glowed red and the one where he was laughing like a psycho), or that can just be from the insanity from trying to die so hard idk pick your interpretation


End file.
